Several Jets players said after Monday night’s game that its intensity and grit was perfect preparation for – dare we say? – the playoffs, should the Jets get in with a win over Oakland Sunday.

“This was a playoff game,” left guard Pete Kendall said, referring to the Jets’ 13-10 win over Miami. “In my limited experience (with postseason games), this is what I remember about playoff games.”

Linebacker Matt Chatham, who had the fortune of joining the Patriots in 2000 when Bill Belichick and staff took over, is very used to playoff football. He has three Super Bowl rings to prove it.

“These are the kinds of games that you’ve got to get under your belt – very, very competitive, playofftype games where everything was on the line,” Chatham said. “You need a game like this, because if we get into the playoffs this is very similar to that situation. Maybe we had to be tested this way. This was the kind of game we needed to win.”

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The win gave the Jets a 6-2 record on the road, second only to their 7-1 mark in 2001 under Herman Edwards. They went 0-8 on the road last season.

Chad Pennington called it “quite an accomplishment,” saying it reminds him of 2001.

Pennington, too, revealed this: “I learned a lot from Vinny (Testaverde) that year, watching him play on the road and how he stayed on an even keel. He never went too high or too low and the team was able to respond to that.”

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Pennington was distraught for a moment when his wide receiver and close friend Laveranues Coles lay on the ground after being crushed by a high Zach Thomas hit.

“My No. 1 goal is to not put my receivers in harm’s way,” Pennington said. “I hated to see that happen. Zach Thomas flies around the football. He’s like a missile.

“My heart really dropped to see that. (Coles) is a great competitor. Coming back in there what he did was he gave us stability with our personnel groups. Having him in the game we were able to stay normal. Even through he wasn’t making big plays, things were OK and there’s a lot to be said about that.”

Coles, indeed, returned to the game after that hit and finished with two catches for nine yards.

CB Andre Dyson, who limped off the field late in the third quarter favoring his right leg, appears not to be hampered with a serious injury.

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Eric Mangini yesterday named the Players of the Week, citing RB Leon Washington on offense, LB Jonathan Vilma on defense and K Mike Nugent on special teams. Matt McChesney was the “practice player of the week” for the looks he gave on the Dolphins’ line blocks.